Wagon-brake



No. 6l6,925. Patented Ian. 3, I899.

. J. HELLER.

WAGDN BRAKE.

(Application filed Feb. 21,1893.

(No Model.)

A m J", 1,, nann-annn.

dbhnflellerg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HELLER, OF HIGH RIDGE, MISSOURI.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,92 5, dated. January 3, 1899.

Application filed February 21, 1898. Serial No. 671,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, J OHN HELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at High Ridge, in the county of Jefierson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful \Vagon-Brake, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to wagon-brakes, and more especially to certain improvements in the brake-lever and locking mechanism for the same, the object of the invention being to provide a very cheap, simple, strong, and d urable mechanism which may readily be applied to or removed from brakes of this class and which is so constructed as to be easily operated, the locking mechanism being automatic in one direction and of a construction to secure absolutely rigid adjustment of the various parts in any position.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and I afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and op eration, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a wagon-body having a brake-locking mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View, on an enlarged scale, of.the lockin g mechanism, the upper end of the lever and pawl-operating bar being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the side of a wagon-body and my improved brakelocking mechanism applied thereto, the parts being illustrated in locked position. Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the parts in their unlocked position. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of a slightly-modified form of pawl, illustrated in unlocked position. Fig. 6 is a similarview of the same form, showing it in its locked position.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A indicates one side of an ordinary wagon-body, to which is bolted a segmental bar B, said bar being for the greater part of its length set at a slight distance away from the .body of the wagon, but lying for a portion of its length, as at O, in contact therewith, being secured to the wagon at {one end by bolts D and at the other end by a bolt E, which also serves as the pivotal bolt for the brake-lever F. Said brake-lever extends vertically to a point somewhat above the upper edge of the side of the wagon-body, where it is provided with a suitable handle F.

In a slot G in the brake-lever is pivotally secured a pawl H, consisting of a central platelike portion and upwardly and downwardly extending arms I and J, each of which is bent at right angles at its end, as at I and J to form locking-fingers, which are seated in perforations in the brake-lever above and below the slot G, before referred to, one of said perforations being closed on the inner side of the brake-lever by means of a spring K, which serves to normally hold the arm I of the pawl H in its outer position by hearing against the inner end of its finger I.

To the outer side of the central plate-like portion of the pawl II is pivoted the lower end of a connecting-rod L, which at its upper end is connected to one arm of an elbow-lever M, the other arm of which extends upward at the side of the handle Fof the brakelever, whereby by squeezing it against the handle of the brake-lever the connecting-rod is drawn upward thereby by the pull exerted upon the central portion of the pawl H, pressing the finger 1 against the spring K into the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby the finger J is withdrawn from the opening in the segmental locking-bar B, into which it projected, as shown in Fig. 3, leaving the brakelever free to be moved upon its pivot in either direction.

A bracket N, secured on the inside of the brake-lever F, is extended upward inside of the segmental perforated bar B, whereby the brake-lever is guided in its movements on its pivot and prevented from tilting outward from the segmental bar.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the upper arm I of the pawl H is straight, the finger I and its corresponding perforation in the brake-lever being omitted, and a spring K, secured to the outside of the brake-lever and bearing under the arm I of the pawl, is substituted for the spring K on the rearside of the brake-lever, as illustrated in the other figures of the drawings.

The perforations B in the segmental bar B are beveled off 011 one side, as at B whereby when the brake-lever is resting in its locked position, as shown in Fig. 3, it maybe pressed in one direction, as toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2, without withdrawing the finger J from the opening in which it is adjusted. The mechanism will be so arranged that this movement will be in the direction necessary to move the brake-lever in order to tighten or put on the brake, so that by merely pressing against the rear side of the handle, without interfering with the pawl-adjusting mechanism, the brake may be put on as hard as necessary.

To let up the brake, it will of course be necessary to withdraw the finger J from the perforation B in which it may be engaged.

The bracket N on the rear of the brakelever, besides serving as a guard topreven't the brake-lever from tilting outward on its pivot, also serves to prevent the finger J from being inserted too far through the opening B in the segmental bar B, which might occur if the finger were long enough to project through the segmental bar, the result of such projection being in some instances to injure the finish of the side of the wagon-body.

The movement of the brake-lever is transmitted to the brake-shoe in the ordinary manner through the medium of a rod 0, as shown in Fig. 1.

While I have illustrated and described the best means now known to me for carrying out my invention, I do not wish tobe understood as restricting myself to the exact construction shown, but hold that any slight changes, such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic,would properly fall within the limit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

A wagon-brake-locking mechanism, comprising the segmental bar, B, adapted to be a an angular bracket secured on the inner side of the brake-lever and extending up inside of the segmental bar, serving as a guard or guide for the brake-lever,a pawl, consisting of a central plate-like portion, arms I and J projecting in opposite directions, and fingers I and J at right angles to said arms, the pawl being connected to the brake-lever by a pivot passing throughthe inner end of thecentral plate-like portion, which is locatedina slot in the brake-lever, the fingersl and J being passed through perforations in the brake-lever above and below the slot, the finger J being adapted topass through its perforation into one of the perforations B in the segmental bar B, a spring K secured on the inside of the brake-lever and bearing against the inner end of the finger I, an elbow-lever, M, at the upper end of the brake-lever, having one end lying adjacent to the handle F, and a rod L, secured at its lower end in the outer edge of the central plate-like portion of the pawl II, and at its upper end to one arm of the elbowlever M, substantially as described.

JOHN HELLER. Witnesses:

M. I OBRIEN, OSCAR BRAGKMANN. 

